I used to think I needed to come up with original layouts every time I scrapped. I thought that if I used a sketch, or lifted other people’s work, the scrapping police would come out and take my X-acto knife away. Kinda explains why each of my layouts take so long to create. But I'm ready to change.
The amazing movie director Jean-Luc Godard said:
I totally agree with him. Why reinvent the wheel every time we sit down to scrap?
It’s what you do with the “borrowing” that counts. Point in case, the sketch. (Cue in heavenly voices.) If you use one, you are not copying or being uncreative. Check this out.
I really liked this webpage from the British online store Toast. (Awesome clothing, but uh, remember those are prices in the Queen’s currency. Ouch.)
From it, I created a sketch.
Here is my take on the sketch. I didn't change much.
materials: cardstock (Bo Bunny) + patterned papers (American Crafts, Scenic Route, Sassafras Lass, Making Memories) + stamps (Martha Stewart, My Sentiments Exactly, Ma Vinci) + letter stickers (American Crafts)
Then, I sent the sketch to some friends, asking them (ok, fine, begging them) to do a layout with it. You will be amazed at how different they all are (we'll see these Tuesday and Wednesday.) And that is what a sketch is all about. It’s a starting point. It gets the creative juices moving. It's open to your interpretation. By the time you are done, it might not even look like the sketch anymore. And that is just fine. So don't worry about the size of those circles or squares, or what they are for. It's up to you. You are the boss! You take it from scribbles to masterpiece.
Do play along, create a layout or a card using this sketch, and post it in our Flickr gallery. Or your blog. Or in some other gallery. Come back, and link me to your creation in the comments section. On Friday, I will pick some layouts and cards and feature them here on the blog.
Looking ahead:
Tuesday - a look at how to convert a 12” x 12” sketch into a 8.5” x 11”, and more layouts.
Wednesday - more layouts and the sketch converted into a card.
Thursday - an awesome giveaway (hint: gift card to a cool store.)
Friday - we’ll be marveling at the wonderful layouts created by y’all!
Thanks for stopping by!
